Too Many Wedding To-Do's: I Do!

In this mini-series called “Too Many Wedding To-Do’s”, I will outline a bit about each step in the Wedding To-Do List.

Step #5: Meet with and book your wedding officiant or clergy.

Sometimes this can seem like a small detail or even an afterthought when you look at the big picture of all that must be coordinated for your wedding.  However the officiant or clergy that you select can have a large impact on the overall tone of your ceremony – as much as the setting, flowers and decorations.

There are two things you must first consider:

1. This person must be willing to perform the type of ceremony you’re looking for
2. He or she is legally eligible to perform the ceremony in your province.

You likely already know whether you would like a religious or secular ceremony and this will help guide your search for the right person.

Religious Ceremony

This choice may have already been made in a large sense if you have a family clergy person or house of worship in mind.  The biggest thing in this case is to make sure that the venue and individual is available on your desired date.  If you are open on this one, you may choose to “shop around” and visit a few different worship services in order to get a feel for the type of venue and service that most closely aligns with your beliefs.  Then sit down and chat (read: interview) a few individuals to make sure that you’ll be comfortable with them marrying you.

Consider whether you will want (or be able to) customize the ceremony, and whether you will be eligible to be married there if you are not currently members of your chosen spot.

Secular Ceremony

You have a few options here, and the way I see it, they are:

1. A Certified Officiant

There are many organizations of officiants in the GTA.  I have worked with a few, including White Orchid Wedding Ceremonies and Kettle Creek Weddings; both are very good.  You will want to contact someone who is local to where you will be married (or ensure they are willing to travel) and meet with them to discuss their style and personalization options.

2. City Hall

If you can’t wait to get things done, city hall is the place to go!  Don’t expect much personalization or a lengthy ceremony though; you won’t get that here.  However if you want (or need) to make it official quickly and plan to have a ceremony and/or reception later with family and friends, this one’s the ticket.  Just call your local city hall and they will be able to provide you with all the details.

3. A Friend or Family Member

This can be very meaningful choice for couples who have a particular person in mind for the task.  Just make sure that he or she understands the seriousness of the task and is (legally) able to perform the ceremony.

And always remember – you can’t get married without first obtaining a marriage license (we almost forgot to do this for our wedding!).  It doesn’t take much time, but does come at a price – $100 to be exact – so make sure you budget for this in your ceremony budget.  They are valid for three months so you can take care of this ahead of time – just make sure its in the hands of your officiant so that it can be signed during the ceremony itself.

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